The Drakes Huddersfield League Executive have undertaken a total re-shuffle of the six Pools, resulting in the majority of clubs facing different opponents next season.

Because the pools have remained unchanged for a couple of seasons, the 2009 season’s competition showed up a great imbalance with four Premiership clubs competing against each other, plus one Conference side in both the Hirst and Taylor pools, while in the Haigh pool there was only one top flight team and the Rhodes pool was comprised completely of Conference sides.

Executive secretary Trevor Atkinson admitted: “Given the geographical catchment area of the League, it is not easy to come up with the perfect solution.

“Obviously we couldn’t really have Micklehurst or Delph & Dobcross visiting Hoylandswaine for an evening game, so we have to be mindful of what pools we place them in, but I think we have come up with a fairer solution for next season. It gives clubs a chance to play different sides to those they have been drawn against for a few seasons.”

Next summer, all pools will have either two or three Premiership sides in them, with Romida Twenty/20 holders Hoylandswaine (who also won their promotion to the top flight) being paired in the Watson pool with Shepley, newly-promoted Kirkburton, Emley and Kexborough.

League champions Scholes, who were last season’s beaten finalists, are in the same section as Skelmanthorpe, along with Division II and III sides Clayton West, Thongsbridge and Lascelles Hall.

The biggest problems will come in the Taylor pool where Micklehurst and Delph & Dobcross are obviously paired together again, along with Barkisland, Armitage Bridge and Linthwaite.

The pool games will get under way on the second Tuesday in June (8th) with the semi-finals against being staged on a Friday in July and the final scheduled for a Sunday afternoon.